What is known today as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs started in 1957, as the External Division of the office of the Prime Minister. The establishment of that office was part of the preparation for Nigeria’s independence.
In the beginning 12 officers were selected after rigorous interview to constitute the pioneer staff of the Nigerian Foreign Service designed to be in the words of the then Chairman Federal Civil Service Commission, “an elite service of the brightest and the best.
In addition to courses at reputable institutions abroad such as Oxford University, as part of their training, the officers were also sent abroad to British Embassies and Consular Posts to function as Third Secretaries, vice Consuls etc. On 1st October 1960, the government subsequently established a separate Ministry known as Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Relations to deal with external affairs of the government.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for the post of Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos.
In line with its enabling Act of 1971 (CAP.311), the Institute is charged, amongst others, with the following key mandates:
To encourage and facilitate the understanding of international affairs and of circumstances, conditions and attitudes of foreign countries and their peoples;
To provide and maintain means of information upon international questions and promote the study and investigation of such questions by means of conferences, lectures and discussions, and by the preparation and publication of books, reports or otherwise as may seem desirable so as to development, a body of informed opinions on world affairs; and To establish contacts with other organizations with similar objectives.
To achieve these mandates, the Institute is also charged with promoting the scientific study of international politics, economics and jurisprudence with a view to:
Providing relevant information to the Government of the Federation and members of the public on matters concerning international relations;
Providing facilities for the training of Nigerian diplomats and personnel of other countries;
Promoting and encouraging the study of and research into all aspects of international affairs;
Arranging international seminars and conferences on any matter relating to its objectives; and
Carrying out such other activities as may be necessary for the attainment of the objectives of the Institute.
In line with the Act establishing the NIIA, applicants for the post of Director-General, must possess the following minimum qualifications:
Hold a Professorial Chair in international relations or other related areas of the Social Sciences with a minimum of 15 years post-professional qualification and experience in international relations or related areas;
Show demonstrable track record in similar position(s) within or outside Nigeria, complete with evidence of ability to lead a high profile team of world-class academics in international studies and related areas;
Be a competent administrator with matured disposition and exposure, easily able to contribute positively to charting the countrys international relations direction in the emerging world-order.
In addition, applicants must also be computer literate.
METHOD OF APPLICATION
All applications accompanied with Curricular Vitae/resumes and photocopies of necessary credentials should reach the: Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Further information on the NIIA is available at the Institutes Website:http://www.niianet.org/
Signed:
Amb. (Dr.) Martin I. Uhomoibhi
(Permanent Secretary)
